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Kareem hass a nervous habit of chewing on the inner lining of his lip with his front teeth. The lip grew thicker and thicker from years of continual irritation. Kareem;s dentist noticed his greatly thickened lip and suggested he have it checked. A biopsy revealed hyperplasia and scattered areas of dysplasia, but no evidence of neoplasia. What do these terms mean? Did Kareem have cancer of the mouth?

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Final answer:

Kareem's biopsy indicated hyperplasia, the benign increase in cell numbers, and dysplasia, abnormal cell growth, but no neoplasia, which means he did not have mouth cancer. Monitoring and stopping the lip chewing habit is recommended to prevent any potential progression.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Hyperplasia, Dysplasia, and Neoplasia

Hyperplasia, dysplasia, and neoplasia are terms related to cellular growth and can determine if a condition like Kareem's is indicative of cancer. Hyperplasia refers to the increase in the number of normal cells, often in response to excess irritation or stimulus, leading to tissue enlargement. This condition in itself is not cancerous and is generally deemed a benign growth. In Kareem's case, the chronic irritation from lip chewing stimulated extra cell growth, resulting in a thickened lip.

Dysplasia, on the other hand, represents an abnormal development or growth of cells and can be a precursor to cancer, but it isn't cancer itself. Dysplastic cells may appear atypical under a microscope and can vary in shape or size when compared to normal cells. Though worrisome, dysplasia is often a reversible condition if the causative irritant, such as lip-chewing, is removed.

Lastly, neoplasia is an uncontrolled and abnormal growth of cells that can lead to the formation of a neoplasm or tumor. Neoplasms can be benign or malignant, with the latter representing cancer. The biopsy report indicates there is no evidence of neoplasia, therefore, at the time of these findings, Kareem did not have cancer of the mouth.

In summary, while the findings suggest cellular alterations, the absence of neoplasia is indicative that Kareem's condition was not cancerous at that point. Nevertheless, ongoing monitoring and cessation of the lip-chewing habit would be advised to prevent potential progression to neoplastic changes.

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